On Twitter, President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez acknowledged Alarcón as a "great patriot and brilliant diplomat of the Cuban Revolution, whose work he defended with passion and solid arguments, making our people proud. Cuba mourns his departure".
"This morning, in the square, shocked by the news, we the Five hugged in honor of Ricardo Alarcón. The history of our case could not be told without mentioning him. He was our best lawyer. Our sincere condolences to his family and friends" wrote Hernandez.
“To the Master of the diplomats of our generation, we will always keep deep respect, admiration and immense affection. Thank you for the privilege and honor of having been his disciples,” Deputy Foreign Minister Josefina Vidal wrote on her Facebook account.
His example and work remain as his legacy to current and future generations of Cubans. “Death is not true when the work of life has been well fulfilled: Jose Marti,” is another message circulating on social media by renowned journalist Humberto Lopez.
Alarcón is remembered as a “true revolutionary; for his anti-imperialism, his loyalty to Fidel and Raul, to the Party and the people,” Lopez concluded his post.
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| Ricardo Alarcon with Vice President Ramiro Valdes. |
Between 1966 and 1978, he served as Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations. In 1978, Alarcón was promoted to first vice-minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. While serving as Permanent Representative to the UN for a second time, Alarcón was President of the Security Council in February 1990 and July 1991.
In 1992 he was made Minister of Foreign Affairs, and in February 1993, he became the President of the National Assembly, a position he held until 2013.
Among others, Alarcón played an important role in the 2000 case of the then seven-years old Cuban Elián González, a custody and immigration controversy involving the governments of Cuba and the United States.
Granma / Prensa Latina
